Crash35
09/22/2016, 01:05 PM
Hello all,
I'm new here, but have been stalking for a few years prior to actually registering.
I have a 5' (60" x 18") 120 with a few corals and fish. It's been up for about 18 months (though I'm not exactly new - I had sw many years ago but got out of it for a while).
I have been doing battle with aptasia for about 6 months now. A zoa colony was apparently infected and I didn't see it. I was fairly successful in staying on top of them with my "hunting" at each water change. Since filtration was off and water levels were lower, it was a great time to use Aptasia X . I was successful in keeping up (with only a dozen or so at any given time) until a month ago.
Suddenly, it seemed as if literally overnight, I had an explosion (is this normal?). And when I say explosion - I mean KABOOM. Literally hundreds (my guess is a least 2-400) My bet is one of the little buggers (or more) released into the water column :mad:. Not sure what set them off (may the power outage or when I vacuumed some off of the sand bed) - but whatever it was - it's happened so no use in trying to figure it out at this point.
Anyway, since there are far too many now for trying to kill with chemical application, and they are affecting my zoas and starting to cover my rocks (which are not removable due to corals and being glued into one formation when I started the tank), I was wondering what your thoughts were on Berghia.
Are they fairly easy to maintain? Do they work? I've been having anxiety attacks over this!
I bought a bunch (18 last month when I first spotted all the little babies and knew I was in trouble and 20 med/lg again this month and it was a lot of $$!!) but I am at my wits ends with these things and figured it's worth a try.
I'm thinking if I don't get them under control by around December, I may just post my fish for sale on here. I have neither the time nor patience (or extra $$ at the moment after this purchase) to deal with this pest in epidemic proportions. I am willing to give it a few months since I realize everything takes time, but ... there is a limit.
I have one pep shrimp (that I got to see if it would help control the small numbers, but don't think it ever did anything) that I am going to try and trap. Do you think it will be a problem?
I haven't seen anything of the first set of berghia (I think I injured them trying to get them into the tank due to the way they were packed in a plastic fish bag - sticky little buggers) This new batch is in a specimen container that will be much easier - I will drip acclimate over an hour or so and place the container in and let them crawl out on their own accord. I was thinking of taking some of the tank water and placing it in a smaller bucket/container with a rock (I have a few very small unattached rocks) with some aptasia to hopefully have a few breed outside the tank since I've read that the eggs are easily and readily eaten.
Has anyone had any real luck with them in a medium sized tank? I've read a lot of mixed reviews and if they were really the "magic cure" - wouldn't they be more readily available?
On a side note, I also have a carpenter wrasse (that I don't recall being a berghia hunter - it is out in the column all day, and sleeping in the rocks at night) = never once ever saw it hunting the rocks, and a p.friedmani which I don't know if it is a predator or not of berghia. But it is a mean little bugger that does not tolerate new fish.
Also due to having some LPS and zoas, a butterfly is not a good option either.
Would a dozen or so pep shrimp be a better option if in a few months I don't see any progress?
I guess on a positive note - I have never had a sick or diseased fish ever ... and that includes my marine tank 15 years ago and the freshwater I did in between. I've always believed in buying health fish and providing the proper diet and variety. Not just flake foods.
Diana
I'm new here, but have been stalking for a few years prior to actually registering.
I have a 5' (60" x 18") 120 with a few corals and fish. It's been up for about 18 months (though I'm not exactly new - I had sw many years ago but got out of it for a while).
I have been doing battle with aptasia for about 6 months now. A zoa colony was apparently infected and I didn't see it. I was fairly successful in staying on top of them with my "hunting" at each water change. Since filtration was off and water levels were lower, it was a great time to use Aptasia X . I was successful in keeping up (with only a dozen or so at any given time) until a month ago.
Suddenly, it seemed as if literally overnight, I had an explosion (is this normal?). And when I say explosion - I mean KABOOM. Literally hundreds (my guess is a least 2-400) My bet is one of the little buggers (or more) released into the water column :mad:. Not sure what set them off (may the power outage or when I vacuumed some off of the sand bed) - but whatever it was - it's happened so no use in trying to figure it out at this point.
Anyway, since there are far too many now for trying to kill with chemical application, and they are affecting my zoas and starting to cover my rocks (which are not removable due to corals and being glued into one formation when I started the tank), I was wondering what your thoughts were on Berghia.
Are they fairly easy to maintain? Do they work? I've been having anxiety attacks over this!
I bought a bunch (18 last month when I first spotted all the little babies and knew I was in trouble and 20 med/lg again this month and it was a lot of $$!!) but I am at my wits ends with these things and figured it's worth a try.
I'm thinking if I don't get them under control by around December, I may just post my fish for sale on here. I have neither the time nor patience (or extra $$ at the moment after this purchase) to deal with this pest in epidemic proportions. I am willing to give it a few months since I realize everything takes time, but ... there is a limit.
I have one pep shrimp (that I got to see if it would help control the small numbers, but don't think it ever did anything) that I am going to try and trap. Do you think it will be a problem?
I haven't seen anything of the first set of berghia (I think I injured them trying to get them into the tank due to the way they were packed in a plastic fish bag - sticky little buggers) This new batch is in a specimen container that will be much easier - I will drip acclimate over an hour or so and place the container in and let them crawl out on their own accord. I was thinking of taking some of the tank water and placing it in a smaller bucket/container with a rock (I have a few very small unattached rocks) with some aptasia to hopefully have a few breed outside the tank since I've read that the eggs are easily and readily eaten.
Has anyone had any real luck with them in a medium sized tank? I've read a lot of mixed reviews and if they were really the "magic cure" - wouldn't they be more readily available?
On a side note, I also have a carpenter wrasse (that I don't recall being a berghia hunter - it is out in the column all day, and sleeping in the rocks at night) = never once ever saw it hunting the rocks, and a p.friedmani which I don't know if it is a predator or not of berghia. But it is a mean little bugger that does not tolerate new fish.
Also due to having some LPS and zoas, a butterfly is not a good option either.
Would a dozen or so pep shrimp be a better option if in a few months I don't see any progress?
I guess on a positive note - I have never had a sick or diseased fish ever ... and that includes my marine tank 15 years ago and the freshwater I did in between. I've always believed in buying health fish and providing the proper diet and variety. Not just flake foods.
Diana